Basket handle



L. M. HELE BASKET HANDLE May 15, 1934.

Filed June 8, 1931 Patented May l5, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

This invention relates to basket handles, and more particularly to handles of this kind made of wire and inserted inwardly through the upper hoops or rim of the basket, then bent upwardly against the inside hoop, then outwardly over the upper edges of the hoops or rim, and then around the vertical portions of the handle and back over the upper edge of the rim.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction of the foregoing general character, having the ends of the wire bent around upon the outer sides of the said vertical portions of the handle, so that these ends will not come in contact with the hand of the person lifting the basket, when the hand is inserted through the handle.

Another object is toy provide a novel and improved construction of the foregoing general character, having provisions whereby the ends of the wire are bent downwardly inside of the inner hoop of the basket.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the general efficiency and the desirability of a basket handle of this particular character.

To these and other useful ends, the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of a portion of the upper rim of a basket having a handle attached thereto, said handle embodying the principles of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing another form of the invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the said upper hoop portion of the basket, showing the wire handle in side elevation.

As thus illustrated, the basket may be of any suitable known or approved character, and may have the inner and outer upper hoops 1 and 2, as shown. In Figs. 1 and 3, the wire handle comprises a horizontal top portion 3, vertical side portions or legs 4, horizontal bottom portions 5, inserted through said hoops, upturned inner portions 6 bearing against the inside of the inner hoop, t'op portions 7 extending over the upper edges of the hoops, bent portions 8 curved around outside of the portions 4, and end portions 9 extending back over the upper edge of the rim. It will be seen that the portions '7 extend outwardly inside of the portions ll, so that the portions 9 are outside where they will not come in contact with the hand of the person lifting the basket, when the hand is inserted through the handle.

In Fig. 2., the construction is similar, but in this form of the invention the portions 9 are extended across and downwardly to form the downturned end portions 10 of the wire, which portions extend downwardly against the inside of the inner hoop of the basket. In this way, the ends of the wire handle are not in position to scratch or cut the hand of the person lifting the basket, as these extreme end portions of the wire are some distance away from the hand.

In both forms of the invention, therefore, the

inner outwardly bent portions 7 may contact with the hand, when the hand is inserted through the handle, but these portions are smooth and will not scratch or injure the hand. In addition, in Fig. 2, the downturned end portions l0 serve to further resist any unbending of the hook portions 8, which might be caused by an outward bending of the handle, as is often necessary in fastening the cover of the basket in place. Such outward bending of the handle would be resisted by the portions 8, in either form of the invention, but in Fig. 2 the portions 10 would contribute further to this resistance.

Obviously, with the foregoing construction and arrangement, the invention avoids any danger of puncturing the contents of the basket, such as peaches or apples or some other similar fruit, as the handles for the basket have no sharp points or projections that might extend into the contents of the basket at any time after the basket is filled, inasmuch as the handles can be manipulated back and forth to insert the basket cover without causing any portions of the handles to project inside of the basket in a manner that might damage the contents.

It will be seen that the horizontal portions 5 of the wire handle are solidly embedded in the rim of the basket, between the upper and lower edges of the rim, being inserted through both hoops and the intermediate staves. Thus, the loops which are formed by the portions 7, 8 and 9, around the vertical legs 4 of the handle, are held against displacement by these solidly embedded portions of the handle. In this way, there is less likelihood of loosening of the handle, or of displacement of the loops or hooks, when the handle is bent outward and then back again, as in attaching the'basket cover in place. There is also l less liability, because of the co-operation of the portions 5, '7 and 9, of downward displacement of the handle, as the result of any weight imposed thereon, in the shipment and handling of baskets of this kind, for the solidly embedded V110 portions 5 co-operate with the upper horizontal portions 7 to resist any such downward displacement of the handle. In addition, it will be seen that the portions 6 extend upwardly and toward each other, being inclined 'toward each other upon the inner side of the basket rim, in the form of the invention shown in Fig. 2. Moreover, the downturned inner end portions 10 further resist displacement of the hooks or loops extending around the vertical portions 4 of the handle, and thus further insure against loosening of the handle in the shipment and handling of the baskets.

It will be seen that in each form of the invention the portions 6 lean or incline toward each other, and this tends to prevent movement of the legs 4 toward each other, obviously, when the load weight in the basket is sustained by the top portion 3 of the handle. When the basket is lifted by the two handles, the legs or side portions 4 have a tendency to pull toward each other, but this is effectively resisted by the hooks that are formed to engage the legs or side portions of the handle, because the portions 6 lean toward each other. As soon as the legs 4 start to move toward each other, it requires but little movement of the portions 6 toward each other to make the hooks bear hard upon the upper edge of the basket, as the hooks are being moved downward as well as toward each other, and the more they move toward each other the harder they bear upon the upper edge c1" the basket. Thus the portions 7, 8 and 9 effectively prevent disengagement of the legs 4 from the hooks, as they cannot slip out of engagement when they try to move toward each other, and in addition this tendency to move toward each other is prevented, or at least very much reduced or minimized.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a wire basket handle construction, a top portion and side portions forming legs :for the handle, said legs extending downwardly outside of the basket, having portions inserted horizontally through and imbedded in the rim of the basket, at points between the upper and lower edges of said rim, then extending upwardly and inclined toward each other inside the basket, across the upper edge of the rim, inside of said legs, forming practically parallel horizontal portions on the top oi the rim, and then around these legs and back over the rim of 'the basket, forming loops around the legs oi the handle, forming retaining hooks for said legs, said inside portions that are inclined toward each other tending by their angles to prevent displacement of said hooks toward each other, whereby there are four horizontal wire portions on the top of the rim, said portions imbedded in the rirn above the lower edge thereof (zo-operating with said four portions above to prevent loosening of the handle on the rim when the handle is bent outwardly and then back again, as in fastening a cover in place, and precluding any disengagement of the legs from the hooks when the weight of the loaded basket is on the top portion of the handle.

2. A structure as specied in claim 1, said portions that are outside of the two legs extending over the rim and then downwardly inside thereof against the inner side of the rim, forming down-turned ends that also serve to anchor the loops against outward displacement.

3. In a wire basket handle, the combination of a top portion and side portions forming legs extending downwardly outside of the rim of the basket, then horizontally through the rim of the basket, then upwardly and toward each other against the inner side of the rim, then across the top of the rim and around the said legs and back over the rim, and finally extending downwardly against the inner side of the rim, forming downturned ends that also serve to anchor the loops against outward displacement.

4. A wire handle constructed on a basket rim by bending the wire into bail shape and inserting the wire ends inwardly through the basket rim, at points between the upper and lower edges of the inner and outer basket hoops forming the rim, the wire ends being bent upwardly and inclined toward each other against the inner side of the rim, then across the top of the rim between the two side portions of the handle, then away from each other and around the side portions of the handle, and then inwardly upon the top of the rim, holding the legs of the handle against movement toward each other when the load weight is sustained by the top of the handle, forming four horizontal wire portions on the top of the rim that co-operate with the closely .related two horizontal wire portions extending through the rim, thereby solidly mounting the bottom portions of the handle in the iull thickness of the basket rim, serving to rigidly maintain the wire ends in fixed position on the top of the rim outside of the handle legs, and holding the inner and outer hoops tightly together.

5. A construction as specied in claim 4, including the final bending or" the wire ends downwardly against the inner side of the basket rim.

6. In a wire basket handle construction, a top portion and side portions forming legs for the handle, said legs extending downwardly outside of the basket, having portions inserted horizontally through the basket and extending upwardly and inclined toward each other inside the basket, then across the upper edge of the rim, inside of said legs, forming practically parallel horizontal portions on the top of the rim, and then around these legs of the handle, forming retaining hooks for said legs, said inside portions that are inclined toward each other tending by their angles to prevent displacement of said hooks toward each other, whereby there are four horizontal wire portions on the top of the rim to l it) prevent loosening of the handle on the rim when v the handle is bent outwardly and then back again, as in fastening a cover in place, and precluding any disengagement of the legs from the hooks when the weight of the loaded basket is on the top portion of the handle.

LESLIE M. HILE. 

